The Ballad of Sir Dinadan

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Summary: The Ballad of Sir Dinadan
Review: A heroic knight falls in love with the married queen, incurring the wrath of the king. Arthur, Guinevere and Lancelot? No, it's a slightly different Arthurian tale, and one that mainly focuses on the musically-inclined Sir Dinadin, who never wanted to be a knight anyway.

Dinadin has always wanted to be a minstrel (especially since his older brother Tristam is a valiant knight), but his father knights him in a drunken stupor and sends him off. After dispatching the knight of a treacherous damsel, Dinadin joins up with a rather dim Welsh knight, Culloch, and ends up at Arthur's court of Camelot. Then he goes off with Culloch, Kai and Bedivere to do knightly things -- including freeing a sharp-tongued lady-in-waiting called Brangienne and Culloch's attempts to win a rather unattractive princess.

Along the way, Dinadin learns that Brangienne is fleeing Queen Iseult, because she knows that Iseult is in love with Tristam, who is wandering around, having taken a vow of silence and unwilling to shut up about it. He also won't shut up about Iseult, with the result that everybody except her husband knows about them. Dinadin teams up with the noble Moor Palomides (who wants to learn what knights are), as Brangienne's safety is jeopardized, and the not-so-secret affair between Tristam and Iseult comes to a dramatic peak.

Morris takes a skip back in time for this book -- it takes place parallel to "The Squire, His Knight And His Lady" and "The Savage Damsel And the Dwarf," though the overlap is only about two paragraphs long. And he handles this story very well and very deftly -- Dinadin doesn't want to become a knight, and he doesn't really have conventional aptitude for it. He'd rather stay home and play his rebec. But his cleverness and ingenuity are what make him a good knight, above and beyond being able to whack things with a sword.

Dinadin is as likable a hero as Morris has penned before, not your typical knight but a solid and admirable one instead. Palomides serves as a good foil, searching for the English ideal knight and finding it where he doesn't expect to; Brangienne is very like Eileen, very witty and smart. Iseult and Tristam are pretty pitiful, and I'm not just talking about the nauseatingly-named "Love Grotto." Tristam thinks he's nothing without a lady to serve, and Iseult is just... well, she's just a lisping ditz with a crazy husband.

As with all his books, there is plenty of humor in this story, ranging from horribly-written ballads to a magical drinking horn to the worst wedding ceremony in history. (Not to mention Kai repeating the ballad line: "Jug jug witta poo poo") It gets a bit more serious near the end, but overall it's much more lighthearted than Morris's fourth Arthurian tale, "Parsifal's Page."

Fans of Morris will definitely like "The Ballad of Sir Dinadin." (Or Sir Dumbledin... Dimbledum... Dinderlin... oh bugger it...) Giving a new twist on the tale of Iseult and Tristam, Morris lets the spotlight shine on the unlikely and capable Dinadin.

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Summary: The Ballad of Gerald Morris
Review: Although I didn't find this one as amusing as The Savage Damsel and the Dwarf (my personal favorite)The Ballad of Sir Dinaden is more comic fun from Gerald Morris. While some might find it too predictable, this book is charming in that while it might not be the most mysterious of books, it's certainly one of the more goof humored. Arthurian buffs will be especially excited to note Sir Lamorak's lady love. Yes, that is exactly who you think it is, at least, I hope so.

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Summary: The Ballad of Sir Dinadan
Review: Having read 'The Squire's Tale", "The Squire, His Knight, and, His Lady", "The Savage Damsel and the Dwarf ", and "Parsifal's Page", I found Gerald Morris' latest Arthurian tale, "The Ballad of Sir Dinadan" to be my least favorite. I found the plot to be to changeable, never having the adventure, or wit, of Gerald Morris' other books. It does have some good humor, which I will not spoil, if you have not read, this book yet. Most of all I miss Sir Gawain, and his squire, who have been in all of the other books so far. (Starring in the first two, having a side role in the others) But they are nowhere to be found. Gerald Morris' Gawain, is so life like, he is everything a knight should be, there is no one who can take his place in this book, he feels missing, as does his nice squire. Sir Dinadan is likable, but not very knightly.I found, Tristram and Iseult's love story, is funny at frist, but after awhile it felt to me, to off the wall. I hope in Gerald Morris, next book Gawain will have the leading role again. 'The Squire's Tale", and "The Squire, His Knight, and, His Lady" are classics, I hope the next book is not a clone of this one.

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Summary: Great Book
Review: The Ballad of Sir Dinadan is a great read. At first glance it does look kinda stupid. The cover is a knight playing a rebec surrounded by animals, but the book is great!

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Summary: Review of The Ballad of Sir Dinadan
Review: This is a funny, adventursome story about a knight of King Arthur. Sir Dinadan is a musician, who is not skilled in warfare, as a matter of fact, he hates it. After his father knights him, Sir Dinadan sets out on a series of adventures, many including his brother Tristram. Tristram being the famous lover of Isuelt from Arthurian tales. I loved this book, Sir Dinadan, his feisty lady friend, and the surprising ending. enjoy!